By Andy Johns
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
RINGGOLD, Ga. — Catoosa County will upgrade its 911 system from 15-year-old technology to a new mainframe that can pinpoint cell calls and could receive text messages in the future.
The Catoosa County Commission approved the funding for the $249,000 system. Law enforcement officials hope it could be purchased, installed and operational by March.
The call center dispatches calls for Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe police, the Fort Oglethorpe fire department, Angel EMS and the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and fire department. The upgrade will include furniture, pushing the total for the improvements to near $300,000.
Sheriff Phil Summers detailed the system’s capabilities for the commission. He said it can track a cell phone to within about 10 feet of the call, while the current system can’t locate a signal at all. The system also will have the capabilities with a future expansion to receive text messages, officials said.
Maj. Gary Sisk, who oversees some of the call center operations, said the new system would also be easy to service. He said parts no longer are available for the old one.
“You go try and find a part for your 15-year-old TV and they’ll tell you to throw it away,” he said.
County commissioners welcomed the upgrade and praised Sheriff Summers for keeping the cost as low as possible.
Commissioner Jim Cutler called the upgrade “way overdue” and Commissioner Ken Marks said it would be an important improvement for residents.
“Any time someone makes a 911 call they want to be heard,” Mr. Marks said.
Call center administrator Joyce Williams said the new system should be much more efficient and allow dispatchers to link up with maps and audio recording software more smoothly.
“Anything that can make it easier for the dispatchers is good,” she said.
Copyright 2009 Chattanooga Publishing Company